【Objective】 The study was conducted to investigate the effect of biochar addition and ridge ‐furrow ‐ rainwater harvesting on soil moisture dynamics and growth characteristics of alfalfa.【Method】 The experiment was set up in a split‐plot design and replicated three times. The biochar application pattern (biochar and no biochar) was assigned as the main plot,while the ridge ‐furrow ‐rainwater harvesting (open ‐ridging,tie ‐ridging and flat planting) was assigned as the subplot.【Result】 The results showed that the biochar application increased soil water storage and soil moisture in 0~200cm depth,improved the growth characteristics,quality and yield of the alfalfa. The tied‐ridg‐ ing significantly increased soil water storage in 0~200 cm depth,the growth characteristics and yield of alfalfa. Com‐ pared to no biochar application,soil water storage,soil moisture in 0~200 cm depth,alfalfa fodder yield,plant height, number of branches and stem diameter,crude protein content,acid detergent fiber content,and neutral detergent fiber content of biochar application increased by 39. 38 mm,15. 46%,95 kg/hm2 ,25. 19%,5. 80%,29. 24%,9. 3%, 12. 3%,and 3. 4%,respectively. Compared to flat planting,with the tied‐ridging soil water storage,soil moisture in 0~200 cm depth,alfalfa fodder yield,plant height,number of branches and stem diameter,crude protein content,acid detergent fiber content,and neutral detergent fiber content increased by 69. 09 mm,332 kg/hm2 ,24. 0%,21. 0%, 14. 2%,17. 7%,7. 7%,and 4. 0%,respectively;with open‐ridging ,the increases of the same parameters were 26. 16 mm,267 kg/hm2 ,16. 8%,10. 2%,10. 1%,14. 2%,7. 3%,and 3. 4%,respectively.【Conclusion】 According to the results,tied‐ridging‐furrow rainwater harvesting with biochar application would be the recommended planting meth‐ ods,which could effectively improve the sustainable cultivation of forage crops in rain‐fed land. The pattern will pro‐ vide scientific guidance and theoretical basis for growing forage crops in the Loess Plateau of Northwest China